This season, designers are embracing the wonders of old Hawaii with its melancholy ukuleles and graceful hula girls.

WSJ: Spring Fashion's Endless Summer

Argentina is justifiably beloved for its mix of old-world melancholy and Latin passion, and the national dance form is certainly no exception.

BBC: Best places to get dance fever

Melbourne's St Kilda has stayed true to its Victorian pleasure palace roots, with a melancholy pier to stroll by day, and bars, restaurants and live music at pubs like The Prince (2 Acland St) and the Espy (11 The Esplanade) for after dark.

BBC: Shore thing: Australia��s beach obsession

Two particular examples, Keith Jarrett and The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson (both Bley disciples), have written music in its image serene, unsettling, and gorgeously melancholy.

NPR: Paul Bley Trio: Darkly Winsome Jazz